HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: 93/6/3390    most recent 00956.2004v1 Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in ISI Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via ISI Web of Science (6) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by D’Angelo, W. R. Articles by Kuwada, S. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by D’Angelo, W. R. Articles by Kuwada, S.

Role of GABAergic Inhibition in the Coding of Interaural Time Differences of Low-Frequency Sounds in the Inferior Colliculus

Department of Neuroscience, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, Connecticut

Submitted 14 September 2004; accepted in final form 31 December 2004

A major cue for the localization of sound in space is the interaural time difference (ITD). We examined the role of inhibition in the shaping of ITD responses in the inferior colliculus (IC) by iontophoretically ejecting -aminobutyric acid (GABA) antagonists and GABA itself using a multibarrel pipette. The GABA antagonists block inhibition, whereas the applied GABA provides a constant level of inhibition. The effects on ITD responses were evaluated before, during and after the application of the drugs. If GABA-mediated inhibition is involved in shaping ITD tuning in IC neurons, then applying additional amounts of this inhibitory transmitter should alter ITD tuning. Indeed, for almost all neurons tested, applying GABA reduced the firing rate and consequently sharpened ITD tuning. Conversely, blocking GABA-mediated inhibition increased the activity of IC neurons, often reduced the signal-to-noise ratio and often broadened ITD tuning. Blocking GABA could also alter the shape of the ITD function and shift its peak suggesting that the role of inhibition is multifaceted. These effects indicate that GABAergic inhibition at the level of the IC is important for ITD coding.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				J. P. Agapiou and D. McAlpine Low-Frequency Envelope Sensitivity Produces Asymmetric Binaural Tuning Curves J Neurophysiol, October 1, 2008; 100(4): 2381 - 2396. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				I. Siveke, M. Pecka, A. H. Seidl, S. Baudoux, and B. Grothe Binaural Response Properties of Low-Frequency Neurons in the Gerbil Dorsal Nucleus of the Lateral Lemniscus J Neurophysiol, September 1, 2006; 96(3): 1425 - 1440. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				N. J. Ingham and D. McAlpine GABAergic Inhibition Controls Neural Gain in Inferior Colliculus Neurons Sensitive to Interaural Time Differences J. Neurosci., June 29, 2005; 25(26): 6187 - 6198. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]